74.

His wounded men he first sends off to shore,
Never till now unwilling to obey :

They, not their wounds, but want of strength deplore,

And think them happy who with him can stay.

75.

Then to the reft, Rejoice, faid he, to-day;
In you the fortune of Great-Britain lies:
Among fo brave a people, you are they
Whom heaven has chose to fight for such a prize.
76.

If number English courages could quell,

We should at first have shun'd, not met our foes: Whose numerous fails the fearful only tell: Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows.

77.

He said, nor needed more to say: with haste To their known ftations chearfully they go;

And all at once, difdaining to be last,
Solicit every gale to meet the foe,
78.

Nor did the encourag'd Belgians long delay,
But bold in others, not themselves, they stood:
So thick, our navy scarce could fteer their way,
But feem'd to wander in a moving wood.

79.

Our little fleet was now engag'd fo far,
That, like the fword-fish in the whale they fought:
The combat only feem'd a civil war,

Till through their bowels we our paffage wrought. 80.

Never had valor, no not ours, before

Done ought like this upon the land or main, Where not to be o'ercome was to do more

Than all the conquefts former kings did gain. 81.

The mighty ghosts of our great Harries rose, And armed Edwards look'd with anxious eyes, To fee this fleet among unequal foes,

By which fate promis'd them their Charles fhould rife.

82.

Mean-time the Belgians tack upon our rear,

And raking chase-guns through our sterns they

fend:

Close by their fire-ships, like jackals, appear,
Who on their lions for the prey attend.
83.

Silent in smoke of cannon they come on:
Such vapours once did fiery Cacus hide :

In these the height of pleas'd revenge is fhewn,
Who burn contented by another's fide.

84.

Sometimes from fighting fquadrons of each fleet, Deceiv'd themselves, or to preferve fome friend, Two grapling Ætnas on the ocean meet,

And English fires with Belgian flames contend.

85.

Now at each tack our little fleet grows

lefs;

And like maim'd fowl, fwim lagging on the

main :

Their greater loss their numbers scarce confefs,

While they lose cheaper than the English gain.

86.

Have you not feen, when whistled from the fift, Some falcon stoops at what her eye defign'd, And with her eagerness the quarry miss'd, Straight flies at check, and clips it down the

wind?

87.

The daftard crow that to the wood made wing, And fees the groves no fhelter can afford, With her loud kaws her craven kind does bring. Who fafe in numbers cuff the noble bird,

88.

Among the Dutch thus Albemarle did fare:

He could not conquer, and difdain'd to fly ; Paft hope of fafety, 'twas his latest care,

Like falling Cæfar, decently to die.

89.

Yet pity did his manly spirit move,

To fee those perish who so well had fought; And generously with his defpair he strove, Refolv'd to live till he their safety wrought.

90.

Let other mufes write his profperous fate,
Of conquer'd nations tell, and kings restor'd;
But mine shall fing of his eclips'd estate,

Which, like the fun's, more wonders does afford.

91.

He drew his mighty frigates all before,

On which the foe his fruitless force employs: His weak ones deep into his rear he bore Remote from guns, as fick men from the noise. 92.

His fiery cannon did their paffage guide,

And following smoke obscur'd them from the

foe:

Thus Ifrael fafe from the Egyptian's pride,
By flaming pillars, and by clouds did go.

93.

Elsewhere the Belgian force we did defeat,
But here our courages did theirs fubdue:
So Xenophon once led that fam'd retreat,
Which first the Afian empire overthrew.

94.

The foe approach'd; and one for his bold fin Was funk; as he that touch'd the ark was flain: The wild waves master'd him and fuck'd him in, And smiling eddies dimpled on the main.

95.

This feen, the reft at awful diftance ftood:
As if they had been there as fervants fet
To stay, or to go on, as he thought good,
And not pursue but wait on his retreat.
96.

So Libyan huntsmen, on some sandy plain,
From fhady coverts rouz'd, the lion chace:
The kingly beaft roars out with loud difdain,
And flowly moves, unknowing to give place.
97.

But if fome one approach to dare his force,

He fwings his tail, and swiftly turns him round;
With one paw feizes on his trembling horse,
And with the other tears him to the ground.
98.

Amidst these toils fucceeds the balmy night;
Now hiffing waters the quench'd guns reftore ;
And weary waves withdrawing from the fight,
Lie lull'd and panting on the filent shore.